Grab your popcorn: Maritime drive-ins plan big summer with new releases, old favourites
For some Maritimers, it’s a ritual as sacred as the first swim of the summer; for others it’s a brand-new experience. The drive-in theatre might not be the cultural behemoth it used to be in the 1960s and 1970s, but several businesses are keeping the projector lights flickering as they prepare for what they hope is a busy season in the region.
“I think the public’s interest in drive-ins has grown in the last 10 years,” said Kirk Longmire, co-chair of the Valley Drive-in at Cambridge Station, N.S. “There will never be a return to the 50s, but the nostalgia piece is huge. Going to the drive-in is one of those things you remember, you remember how it made you feel.
“It’s a lifelong thing. We’ve been doing it long enough that we actually have young people who worked with us in 2000 who have kids and grandkids of their own who come.”
Waking up a drive-in from its winter hibernation is no simple task, especially for the Neptune Drive-in located in Shediac, N.B., which has been closed since August 2022. Sébastien Després is the new co-owner of the business, bringing the drive-in under the banner of Shediac Wonderland.
Després said they’ve completely remodeled the canteen and they plan to bring in Texas-style barbecue, which they hope to keep open year-round. They’re looking at a soft open on May 9 followed by an official launch on the Victoria Day long weekend.
“It’s a weight of responsibly I feel we have right now and we want to do well by the community,” he said. “The drive-in has been a mainstay in Shediac since the 60s.”
When it comes to mainstays, few spots in the Maritimes can match the legacy of the Brackley Drive-in on Prince Edward Island, which originally opened in 1959. Current owner Bob Boyle has operated it for 32 years and he’s seen firsthand the regular ebb and flow of the business, which underwent a big change during the pandemic.
“Times were tough during COVID-19, all the turmoil in Hollywood put the regular film production on hold,” he said. “We never seemed to get back to a normal film schedule. This is the first time since 2019 that it looks like a more normal year.
“This is the first year in my 32 years in the drive-in business that I went to the drive-in convention in Orlando, Fla. It was a great exchange of ideas with a number of passionate drive-in owners. I have a notebook full of ideas I want to try.”
Don Monahan, co-owner of the Sussex Drive-in, which has been around since 1967, said the pandemic helped bring some traffic back to the outdoor business as people wanted to see movies on a big screen while maintaining social distancing.
“During COVID it helped to re-establish the importance of the drive-in,” Monahan said. “That drove attendance levels to a higher record. A lot of people thought drive-ins play old movie but it’s quite to the contrary.”
Longmire said they plan to make a few structural upgrades to the backside of the screen while Monahan will put the projector through a few trial runs to ensure the lightbulb still works. A drive-in movie theatre is much more exposed than its indoor counterpoint, making maintenance and cleaning a major component of the opening process.
“When you put it to bed in the winter, there’s a lot of cleaning to do,” Boyle said. “Debris to pick up from the winter storms, general maintenance that needs to get done, it takes about two weeks.”
Many of the drive-ins are mere days away from welcoming fleets of cars, vans, and trucks to their lots for the new season. The Valley and Brackley drive-ins are opening on May 3 while the Sussex Drive-in is looking at May 10 as their starting point. The Shoebox Drive-In in Westville, N.S., also opens May 17.
“It’s similar to tailgating,” Monahan said. “Folks show up early and they turn it into a small community event.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
Nine killed in Mexico stage collapse at campaign event
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.
Charlie Colin, founding member of the pop-rock band Train, dies at 58
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Bangkok hospital says most seriously injured from turbulence-hit flight need spinal operations
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
NEW AI helping to identify undiagnosed genetic disorders in children
Researchers have developed the world's first algorithm powered by artificial intelligence to identify children with undiagnosed rare genetic disorders.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options
Diminished but not deterred, Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities.
Majority of Canadians plan to stay close to home on this year's summer vacation, survey finds
A new survey found a majority of Canadian respondents plan to stay within the country on their next trip amidst high costs of living.